Backyard garbage pickup may end for Lakewood residents

Backyard garbage pickup may end for Lakewood residents in the coming year as the city attempts to create a balanced budget for 2009.

Mayor Ed FitzGerald is proposing the possibility of switching to automatic-arm garbage trucks that would pick up cans from the curb and could be operated by fewer employees.

"We have the capacity to go to automated garbage pickup in 2009," said Mayor Ed FitzGerald at Monday's budget hearing. "It's going to be a big culture shift but I think in this climate of sacrifice it's something we're willing to do."

FitzGerald projected that thanks to this year's staffing cuts and subsequent declining healthcare costs, the 2008 fiscal year will end with a $700,000 surplus, which he hopes to save rather than spend. He projects limited layoffs in the coming year as well.

The Mayor's main goals for the 2009 budget are to balance the budget without raising taxes, which the proposed budget does, and to create an environmentally responsible way to collect waste and recycling.

He also aims to add to the city's reserve funds, some of which are new and some which have been drained to supplement the general fund.

"We're determined to bring the city back to fiscal health by funding those accounts," he said.

The city's next budget hearing will be held Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. to discuss enterprise funds and human services. Following that, the next hearing will be Dec. 2 to discuss police and fire objectives.

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